TVK chief Vijay cries 'fascist attack' as Chennai rally permit denied

Actor-politician Vijay has accused the DMK government of a "fascist attack" after his party, TVK, was denied permission for a rally in Perambur. The Greater Chennai Corporation has refuted the claims, calling them "misleading".

TVK chief and actor Vijay on Friday alleged that he was denied permission to conduct an election rally in Perambur Assembly Constituency on the grounds of sudden repair works, which he claimed were started after the party had sought permission for the campaign.

Vijay alleges 'fascist attack' on democracy

Vijay termed these actions a "fascist attack" on democracy, attacking the Greater Chennai Corporation for allegedly "digging a trench at that location and erecting iron barricades". He added that the police denied permission, stating that 3,000 people could not gather 3,000 people, targeting the DMK government for using officials against TVK. "Two days prior to the event (26/03/26), permission was sought on behalf of the TVK to conduct an election campaign at the Mullai Nagar Junction in the Chennai Perambur Assembly Constituency. However, just one day before our election propaganda event, the Chennai Corporation suddenly dug a trench at that location and erected iron barricades. Where did these sudden trenches and barricades come from?" he said. "In this situation, the police conducted an inspection and stated that 3,000 people could not gather there. Based on this, permission has now been denied on the grounds that the location is not suitable for campaigning, and the TVK's application has been rejected. Isn't the DMK government, which is acting against TVK with the support of certain officials, ashamed of this?" he added. https://x.com/TVKVijayHQ/status/2037503169027358987

GCC says reports of rally denial are 'misleading'

Hours after Vijay's accusation, Greater Chennai Corporation clarified that the reports of permission denial for the TVK rally are "misleading". In a statement shared on GCC Official X, the corporation stated that no civic works were carried out by the GCC at the location, nor were any new projects initiated that could have affected the event. It further explained that a minor repair was undertaken by the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) to fix an unexpected break in a drinking water pipeline. Officials noted that the work was confined to a very small area and was completed promptly. The corporation emphasised that linking these repair works as the reason for denying permission to the political gathering is "completely incorrect".

"It is informed that the reasons for denying permission for the meeting have been clearly specified in the order of the election-conducting officer," Greater Chennai Corporation said. https://x.com/chennaicorp/status/2037552465516589348

Tamil Nadu electoral contest

Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which also includes Congress, DMDK, and the VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to make his electoral debut with TVK, attempting to turn the upcoming elections into a three-way contest. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)